The Perk, Monday lunchtime

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

Although the divisions of time were an intellectual and practical construction and not absolutes, crossing the boundary between one year and the next still made River thoughtful. This would be her last year at Fandom, and the future was, as always, unknown.

She stirred her coffee, watching the spoon move. Her apple cake was still untouched.

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[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. was feeling oddly excitable, like he had way too much energy and had no where to put it. So, he came to the only reasonable conclusion on what to finally do with that energy. Go to the coffee shop and get more. Mmmm, caffeine buzz. Not that he'd need any help staying up until midnight, of course, but it couldn't hurt, right? Right! So he bounced into the Perk, giving River a wave and a smile and a greeting when he spotted her there. Once he'd gotten a latte with too much sugar, he drifted over and asked, "Mind some company?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Depends on the company," River said. "Don't mind your company." She looked up at A.J., not quite smiling, her mind still on some thoughts that seemed to want to remain vague.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J.'s eyes widened slightly as he pulled out a chair, turned it around, and sat in it backwards as he joined River at her table. He frowned a little at her response. "I'm glad," he said, because he was happy to hear that he'd still be welcome, and looked with concern toward River. "But there's some company you would mind right now?"

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "Am contemplating what the next year will bring. Pointless." She sipped her coffee, aware that she hadn't quite answered his question.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. wasn't sure he'd know what to do with a truthful answer to his question, anyway, so it was probably better that it was avoided and she'd continued on with something else for him to gape worriedly at. "Pointless, uh, contemplating it, or you mean it's pointless...um, all together? 'Cause I don't know if I'd really be able to agree with that second one."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River smiled a little. "The contemplating is pointless. Predicting the future is too complicated."

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. eased up a little. Okay, a lot, with a relieved sigh to hear that's what River meant. "Well, yeah," he said, leaning forward in his backwards chair toward the table, "I could've told you that."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River didn't reply to that either. She grinned. "Your hair is green."

[by137.livejournal.com]

Glad to see River grin, A.J. grinned back. He sipped at his drink before leaning forward a little more until his elbows were on the table and commented, "Well, aren't you just Little Miss Captain Obvious today? You like it? You'll have to mention it to Ino if you do," he continued, ruffling his hair a little. "It's her handiwork."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"It brings out the red in your skin," River replied, looking thoughtful. She took a bit of her apple cake.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J.'s nose wrinkled. "Yeah, I noticed that, too. I look like a freakin' Oompa Loompa. Everyone else has been saying it looks good, but, yeah, too much red. That's it. It looks...off." He sighed a little, gave River a lopsided grin. "I guess everyone else is just blinded by my charm."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

River nodded solemnly. "Probable. Perhaps put the colour on the canvas next time."

[by137.livejournal.com]

"I told you," A.J. chuckled slightly, "this is Ino's work, not my own. Of course, I painted her hair blue, but, of course, that was her fault, too. She walked right into it, and I had given her more than enough warning."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

"Experimentation leads to new discoveries." River couldn't hold back her amusement now, and gave A.J. a warm smile.

[by137.livejournal.com]

A.J. faked a glower toward River, wrinkling his nose. "That's one way to put it, I suppose."

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

She giggled and pushed the apple cake towards him, gesturing for him to help himself. There was something about A.J. that made her mind lock on to his innocence and leave the darker thoughts behind, and she was thankful for it.